I can't get started

Once I'm in motion on my bike, I'm semi-skilled, able to insert myself in tight traffic lanes, creeping along in super slo-mo. But it's the starting and stopping I can't fully do, especially on uneven ground. I fell in front of my house to cap my first ride, then today fell in the middle of the street at a red light. A jogger and old lady both asked if I was okay, and I fell into my standard, "Yeah, just a little stupid." Skinned my knee, injured my pride, hopefully gave my bike a cool-looking war wound.

The indignity continued. I was talked into flip-flops by an experienced biker, but shoes that come off that easily don't combine well with me on a bike. I had to jog back to retrieve a shoe for the second time in two days, once in the middle of somewhat dangerous intersection. Back to Pumas for me.